North Haledon worker wants new venue for lewdness trial

By RICHARD COWEN

STAFF WRITER |

The Record

NORTH HALEDON — A borough employee accused of pulling his pants down in front of his neighbor’s child and with discharging a firearm in front of kids in his basement wants his trial moved out of North Haledon Municipal Court.

Van Brook-hoven

Greg Van Brookhoven, 52, a borough sewer plant worker, was scheduled to go on trial Monday, charged with lewdness and illegal discharge of a weapon. His neighbor’s 12-year-old child appeared in court ready to testify against him, but Van Brookhoven made a last-minute motion for a change of venue.

Through his attorney, Raymond Flood, Van Brookhoven argued that as a borough employee, he might not get a fair trial in the borough’s court. Flood also argued that Municipal Judge John F. Meola should not hear the case because he represented Van Brookhoven’s wife in a legal matter many years ago.

Municipal Prosecutor David Stanziale opposed the change of venue, saying the issue had already been the subject of an earlier ruling by Superior Court Judge Dolph Corradino. The case was originally assigned to Wayne Municipal Court, but Van Brookhoven sought to have the case moved, and Corradino reassigned it to North Haledon.

On Monday, Meola denied the latest change of venue motion, but he postponed the trial to May 12 to give Van Brookhoven a chance to appeal. Meola said he saw no conflict with hearing the case even though he had once represented Van Brookhoven’s wife in a case "decades" ago.

The two summonses against Van Brookhoven resulted from an incident at his North Haledon home last May 25. A neighbor, Tracey Medici, allowed her two sons, then ages 9 and 12, to play with Van Brookhoven’s boys, who are the same ages.

Medici told police that her kids were playing at Van Brookhoven’s house when one of the boys broke a collectible toy.

Medici said her older son came home that night and said Van Brookhoven got angry when the toy broke, and began ranting about how no one — children or adults — should be allowed to do anything he wants.

Medici’s son told her that Van Brookhoven, as if to prove his point, then turned around, pulled his pants down and pretended to defecate. The boys also told her that on several occasions, Van Brookhoven had invited them to the basement of his house to watch him shoot his gun at a target on the wall. Medici phoned North Haledon police that night, and they took a statement from her boys.

After interviewing the boys, the officer left. Over the next couple of days, Medici repeatedly went to police headquarters to make the case that Van Brookhoven’s home should be searched.

Four days after the incident, police did search the house, where they found two firearms. Police questioned Van Brookhoven and charged him with lewdness and illegal discharge of a firearm, two misdemeanors that are punishable by a fine.

Incensed at what she considered light treatment by the police, Medici continued to press her case in North Haledon Municipal Court. In July, Meola agreed there was probable cause to present the matter to a grand jury to consider if there was evidence to charge Van Brookhoven with endangering the welfare of a child, an indictable offense.

The grand jury declined to indict Van Brookhoven, and the misdemeanor charges were sent to Municipal Court. Before the trial was adjourned, Medici said she expected that her older son to testify.

North Haledon worker wants new venue for lewdness trial

By RICHARD COWEN

STAFF WRITER |

The Record

NORTH HALEDON — A borough employee accused of pulling his pants down in front of his neighbor’s child and with discharging a firearm in front of kids in his basement wants his trial moved out of North Haledon Municipal Court.

Greg Van Brookhoven, 52, a borough sewer plant worker, was scheduled to go on trial Monday, charged with lewdness and illegal discharge of a weapon. His neighbor’s 12-year-old child appeared in court ready to testify against him, but Van Brookhoven made a last-minute motion for a change of venue.

Through his attorney, Raymond Flood, Van Brookhoven argued that as a borough employee, he might not get a fair trial in the borough’s court. Flood also argued that Municipal Judge John F. Meola should not hear the case because he represented Van Brookhoven’s wife in a legal matter many years ago.

Municipal Prosecutor David Stanziale opposed the change of venue, saying the issue had already been the subject of an earlier ruling by Superior Court Judge Dolph Corradino. The case was originally assigned to Wayne Municipal Court, but Van Brookhoven sought to have the case moved, and Corradino reassigned it to North Haledon.

On Monday, Meola denied the latest change of venue motion, but he postponed the trial to May 12 to give Van Brookhoven a chance to appeal. Meola said he saw no conflict with hearing the case even though he had once represented Van Brookhoven’s wife in a case "decades" ago.

The two summonses against Van Brookhoven resulted from an incident at his North Haledon home last May 25. A neighbor, Tracey Medici, allowed her two sons, then ages 9 and 12, to play with Van Brookhoven’s boys, who are the same ages.

Medici told police that her kids were playing at Van Brookhoven’s house when one of the boys broke a collectible toy.

Medici said her older son came home that night and said Van Brookhoven got angry when the toy broke, and began ranting about how no one — children or adults — should be allowed to do anything he wants.

Medici’s son told her that Van Brookhoven, as if to prove his point, then turned around, pulled his pants down and pretended to defecate. The boys also told her that on several occasions, Van Brookhoven had invited them to the basement of his house to watch him shoot his gun at a target on the wall. Medici phoned North Haledon police that night, and they took a statement from her boys.

After interviewing the boys, the officer left. Over the next couple of days, Medici repeatedly went to police headquarters to make the case that Van Brookhoven’s home should be searched.

Four days after the incident, police did search the house, where they found two firearms. Police questioned Van Brookhoven and charged him with lewdness and illegal discharge of a firearm, two misdemeanors that are punishable by a fine.

Incensed at what she considered light treatment by the police, Medici continued to press her case in North Haledon Municipal Court. In July, Meola agreed there was probable cause to present the matter to a grand jury to consider if there was evidence to charge Van Brookhoven with endangering the welfare of a child, an indictable offense.

The grand jury declined to indict Van Brookhoven, and the misdemeanor charges were sent to Municipal Court. Before the trial was adjourned, Medici said she expected that her older son to testify.